El Dorado Hills (EDH) is an unincorporated census-designated place (CDP) located in El Dorado County, California, 22 miles (35 km) east of the state capital of Sacramento. The population was 42,108 at the 2010 census, up from 18,016 at the 2000 census.[3] This population growth is attributed through the combination of actual population increase within the 2000 CDP boundaries and expansion of the boundaries. The area of EDH was expanded from 17.9 square miles (46 km2) in 2000 to 48.606 square miles (125.89 km2) in 2010.[3]

El Dorado Hills residents and businesses are most closely affiliated with El Dorado County, a generally rural area. However, El Dorado County is part of the Sacramento Metropolitan Area because it is socially and economically integrated with the much larger Sacramento County and especially the City of Folsom.[4][5] El Dorado Hills is recognized nationally for its high median household income, ranking 77th in CNN Money Magazine's best places to live in 2007,[6] with the median household income for 2007 over $115,000.[7]

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El Dorado Hills lies about 18.6 miles from the 1848 gold find site in Coloma, the impetus for the California Gold Rush. Gold was washed down the South Fork of the American River, into areas now in El Dorado Hills and Folsom, but farming and ranching supplanted the Gold Rush. Portions of two Pony Express routes in this area from 1860-1861 remain as modern El Dorado Hills roads.[citation needed] El Dorado Hills includes the longest surviving section of the Lincoln Highway, the first U.S. transcontinental highway.[citation needed] This section, part of the Pioneer Branch, passes through historic Clarksville and is the predecessor of the modern US 50 route. (?) tely planned from its inception as a group of residential "villages". Other land uses in the master plan included a business park, 18-hole golf course, community parks, schools, a community shopping center, and small commercial centers in each village. The master plan[citation needed] emphasized open space between villages and opportunity for outdoor recreation.

Between the late '60s and mid-1990s growth occurred at a moderate pace as new families relocated from Sacramento, Southern California and the Bay Area. This growth consisted primarily of residential housing, as retail developments were limited to two shopping centers on the corners Green Valley & Francisco and El Dorado Hills Blvd. & Hwy. 50. Each neighborhood created during this time period was given a name and referred to as a "village" by local inhabitants. The original villages of El Dorado Hills include Park, Saint Andrews, Crown, Governors. In the 1980s and 1990s the major part of Lake Hills Estates north of Green Valley Road, was reorganized into Lake Forest Village,[8] containing the neighborhoods of Waterford, The Summit,[9] Green Valley Hills, Winterhaven, Marina Woods and Windsor Point. Additional villages that have developed subsequently include Fairchild, Sterlingshire, Highland Hills, Highland View, Bridlewood, Hills of El Dorado, Woodridge, Laural Oaks and the master-planned community of Serrano.

The 1990 census, reported that El Dorado Hills had a population of 6,395.[10] Growth slowed during the early part of the '90s due to economic recession throughout California, but resumed at a staggering pace by the mid-1990s. Businesses, particularly those interested in escaping the high costs of Silicon Valley began to set up operations in the El Dorado Hills Business Park south of Highway 50.[11] In 1995, the Parker Development Company acquired 3,500 acres (14 km2) along the eastern boundary of El Dorado Hills to create Serrano, one of the largest master planned communities in Northern California.[citation needed] Serrano was the site of an innovative case of recycled water irrigation on a large scale.[12]

Around 2000, its population growth and commercial development greatly accelerated. Development began in its Town Center Zone to form a true downtown business area, and its Business Park experienced increasing rates of construction and occupancy.

The new El Dorado Hills Town Center is located just south of Hwy 50. The all-new mixed-use project, a development of The Mansour Company, has successfully pulled together a great mix of uses – local and national retailers, cafés, restaurants and bars, movie theater, hotel, gourmet market, fitness club, day spa, luxury car dealership, professional and medical offices, public amphitheatre, dramatic fountains and waterways, and broad public plazas. Occupying 100 acres of land and, at completion, one million square feet of buildings, it is the center of town and of the region – a place where the community can gather to shop, dine, work, go to the movies, enjoy a concert, and relax on public plazas.[13]

Many families continue to relocate to El Dorado Hills from Sacramento, Southern California and primarily the Bay Area. The housing prices for El Dorado Hills typically range from the low $300,000's to $4 million range. There are exclusive neighborhoods that offer high end luxury homes such as Serrano Golf and Country Club, The Summit, Watermark, Marina Hills and Highland Hills.[14]

El Dorado Hills (EDH), as defined by the 2010 census-designated place (CDP), is at the western border of El Dorado County, between the City of Folsom and the unincorporated community of Cameron Park. The northern limits of the CDP are Folsom and the South Fork of the American River, where river rafters use Skunk Hollow and Salmon Falls as takeout landings. West of Latrobe Road, the south edge of the CDP follows railroad tracks formerly used by the Southern Pacific between the cities of Folsom and Placerville. East of Latrobe Road the south edge follows topography running roughly east/west.

The 2010 CDP has a land area of 48.606 square miles (125.89 km2), more than double the size of its boundaries in 2000 CDP, which was 17.9 square miles (46 km2).

US 50 is the major east-west highway running through El Dorado Hills. The portion of EDH north of US 50 is mainly residential. The portion south of US 50 includes the 885-acre El Dorado Hills Business Park and the Town Center Commercial area, as well as additional housing.

The subsurface environment of El Dorado Hills is relatively free of groundwater and soil contamination, based upon an areawide analysis of the potential for pesticide contamination and evaluation of underground storage tanks.(Earth Metrics, 1989)

The Census reported that 42,092 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 16 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 14,368 households, out of which 6,516 (45.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 10,503 (73.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,070 (7.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 490 (3.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 464 (3.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 85 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,798 households (12.5%) were made up of individuals and 670 (4.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93. There were 12,063 families (84.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.20.

The population was spread out with 12,430 people (29.5%) under the age of 18, 2,511 people (6.0%) aged 18 to 24, 9,455 people (22.5%) aged 25 to 44, 13,232 people (31.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,480 people (10.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.6 years. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.

There were 14,994 housing units at an average density of 308.5 per square mile (119.1/km²), of which 12,169 (84.7%) were owner-occupied, and 2,199 (15.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.1%. 35,755 people (84.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 6,337 people (15.0%) lived in rental housing units.

As of the census[15] of 2000, there were 18,016 people, 5,896 households, and 5,206 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,006.3 people per square mile (388.6/km²). There were 6,071 housing units at an average density of 339.1 per square mile (131.0/km²). SACOG's estimate for December, 2003 was 9,713 dwelling units.

There were 5,896 households out of which 50.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 79.5% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.7% were non-families. 9.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.7% had someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.06 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the CDP the population distribution was 33.2% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the CDP was $113,927, and the median income for a family was $125,230.[16] Males had a median income of $75,369 versus $45,978 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $40,239. 1.7% of the population and 1.5% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 1.5% of those under the age of 18 and 2.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

El Dorado Hills is among the highest income communities of its size range in the nation, though this is seldom noted because of its unincorporated status. El Dorado Hills would rank 3rd highest by median household income in a list of places with population greater than 40,000, following only Potomac, Maryland and Danville, California.

Total population within the El Dorado Hills Community Services District (CSD) was certified as 35,276 in January, 2006 by the California State Department of Finance. The El Dorado Hills Fire Department reported a population of 42,078 in its service area at the end of 2007. The Fire Department's district covers a larger geographic area than the CSD and is more nearly equivalent to the El Dorado County definition of the El Dorado Hills Community Region.

As an unincorporated area, the local government of El Dorado Hills is that of El Dorado County. Two supervisorial districts include parts of El Dorado Hills. District 1 is represented by Ron Mikulaco and District 2 by Shiva Frentzen.[20]

A number of services are provided by other local agencies. These include the El Dorado Hills Community Services District (CSD),[21] the Rolling Hills Community Services District (CSD),[22] the Marble Mountain Community Services District, the El Dorado Hills County Water District (fire department),[23] and the El Dorado Irrigation District.[24]

Cheri Elliott - Fourteen Time World & National Champion cyclist, including two X-Games Gold Medals, and Two Hall of Fame Inductions - United States Bicycling Hall of Fame and the National BMX Hall of Fame.